Being mindful when the going gets tough

There really can be a rainbow after the passing of a storm.

Life isn't perfect, and itsn’t always going to go the way we want it to. I'll 100% admit to that. Acknowledging this is one of the foundations of my blog and its name. We have to ride the waves of life and the rollercoaster that it is. We embrace the good and the bad, for better or for worse. I recognize the necessity to dwell and feel a feeling and situation that makes us feel down. We can't always push down our feelings and ignore them and the situation that may have caused them. Often, we need to fully experience these emotions and process the event at hand before we can begin to busy ourselves and try to move on.

>> That said, I also think there is value in realizing the positive side and potential outcome of any given situation. I believe this realization can be made even when we are in the thick of it--dwelling on the negative and feeling the pain, sadness, hurt, upset, anger...the list could go on. But after some time, we will not only be able to recognize this potential, but see that it truly is a possibility, rather than just a silly, maybe even annoying, idea someone has put into our mind. After all, it feels shitty to, well, feel shitty. Yes, we can get into our negative feelings, into our head, and it's really freakin' hard to get out. But we can't stay there forever--it isn't healthy for us, and we have a life to live! ;)

So, when it's been a reasonable amount of time (and this is hard to define because it will vary for everyone and depend on the situation at hand) and even if you would rather sulk, you sometimes need to push yourself and believe you can move on. Go out to dinner with your friends, even if you don't feel like it. Go to your work out class or the gym, even if you don't feel like it. Accept the invitation from your friend to go to his or her birthday brunch, even if you don't feel like it. Eat the tub of ice cream. Do the damn thing . . . . . "It can't hurt; it might help." (that last quotation is a nugget of inspiration from a yoga teacher training teacher we received yesterday)

Easier said than done (and, yes, not possible 100% of the time), but know that sometimes nature resembles the patterns of real life . . .